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Post subject: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 12:40 pm
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Hello folks, long story short as possible.

I have a Mexican strat neck from a guitar that my son disassembled 15 years ago. I have no idea where the body is. He plays and lives in Brooklyn. I've had this neck just collecting dust for many years and it seems in good shape. I've done research and am very mechanically inclined but I clearly need help as it seems that everything doesn't just fit everything. In a perfect world I would love to put this neck on a Tele body but I haven't seen anything that says I can do that. If I am forced into a strat body (which I am fine with) do I have to use a Mexican body? I know that whatever I get it has to be "loaded" unless I want to buy all the hardware separately which might be more that I am capable of quickly. The learning curve on building it from scratch might be longer than I am willing to put into it. As far as investment goes I dont want to spend $1000 on a Frankenstein experimant. I'd just but an American guitar for that . He currently plays a Les Paul but really wants something from the Fender family and I thought it'd be cool and appreciated if I did this for him. He just bought a vintage Twin reverb Amp.
His birthday is the end of May.
Essentially folks tell me what to do and I'll do it.

I live in Phoenix, dont know if it matters that Fender is here in Scottsdale but maybe it does, I have no idea.
Also I don't play at all, not even 1 note. I am somewhat familiar with the concept of quality guitars as I have
purchased guitars for my son from his youth until he moved out to NYC.
Thank you in advance for your help and for reading this lengthy post.

All the best to you.

VF


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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Mon Apr 22, 2019 9:57 pm
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Your MIM Strat neck *should* fit any Fender or Fender-licensed body with only minimal issues (at worst). Thus, your selection of bodies is vast, in a number of different woods and color finishes. You might check out Atomic Guitar Works in Peoria -- they can help you plan out the instrument and also do any "heavy lifting" that might be required to properly set the guitar up.

https://www.atomicguitarworks.com/

Arjay

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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 12:25 am
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Retroverbial wrote:
Your MIM Strat neck *should* fit any Fender or Fender-licensed STRATOCASTER body with only minimal issues (at worst). .....

Arjay


The shape of the heel is different on a Stratocaster and Telecaster neck. The Telecaster is square across the end with rounded corners while the Stratocaster is rounded.

Specialist suppliers like Warmoth http://www.warmoth.com/Pages/ClassicShowcase.aspx?Body=2&Type=95&Path=Telecaster,Hybrid will do Tele shapes to accommodate Stratocaster necks. You will also need a special pickguard to match.

If set on a Tele shape Warmoth might be your best bet in the States as they will go the whole 9 yards and you can choose a complete finished body.

A Partscaster - a Strat or Tele made up of parts has very little resale value and seldom to sum of the parts. Due to its rarity a Tele Strat Hybrid might be slightly more valuable as a whole but even that is debatable...I hope this might be the case as here's mine, although I have no intention of ever selling it.

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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 12:40 am
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A further word of caution. Noting that he removed a neck from a guitar and put it aside suggests to me that perhaps either he didn't like the neck or it was faulty in some way. It would be unfortunate to go to the trouble of creating a special guitar for him around a component he didn't like in the first place.

The neck of a guitar is the single most important element relating to the feel of a guitar (that and weight). If you don't like it, you don't like it and little will change that.

I am particularly sensitive to weight and like light guitars. I have very nice guitars that I am selling just because I consider them too heavy. As your son plays a Les Paul (renown for being heavy) this may not be an issue.

The choice of wood can also be important.

I have every confidence that, by virtue of the love bestowed, the guitar will be very special to your son. However, to create a guitar that is both special and will be used by choice and favoured in use to all others is something of a undertaking.

If you are happy for it to be a (rather large) cherished ornament then dive in there. If you would like it to be more might require significant research/interrogation.

I wish you the very best in your endeavours and hope you can provide your son with his ultimate guitar. Such an instrument is beyond special.

Please let us know what you decide and how you get on.

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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 7:07 am
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Hendrix put a Tele neck on a Strat body. Clapton put a Strat neck on a Tele body.

Strat necks will bolt right onto Tele bodies -- the necks are the same total length (they remove wood on the corners to make the rounded shape). That leaves gaps at the corners of the pocket which are just a cosmetic issue, and can be covered by a custom pickguard.
------------------
Tele necks on Strat bodies are more problematic. Almost always requires some modifications. But that's a long story and not pertinent since the OP has a Strat neck.


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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:19 am
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First off John Sims that pic you put up is EXACTLY the guitar I pictured in my minds eye when I decided to do this project. Is that Body from Warmoth?
So should I have the neck looked at to make sure it’s ok to use and move forward?

Thank You


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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 10:31 am
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Also is eBay a viable option to purchase a body or should I steer clear of them? Are there any better options than EBay or Warmoth? Is it bad to put a Mexican neck on an American body?


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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 4:40 pm
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vincef wrote:
First off John Sims that pic you put up is EXACTLY the guitar I pictured in my minds eye when I decided to do this project. Is that Body from Warmoth?
So should I have the neck looked at to make sure it’s ok to use and move forward?

Thank You


Warmoth product are quite expensive in the UK due to shipping and import duty charges. The pickguard was from Warmouth but I bought the body unfinished from a UK specialist.

I would certainly check the neck but also quiz your son as to why he ditched it. It could be he just didn't like it.

I would avoid eBay. It is rife with fakes and scammers. There are many legitimate sellers offering exactly as described but without the knowledge to spot the difference you could be had over.

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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Tue Apr 23, 2019 6:39 pm
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John Sims wrote:
Warmoth product are quite expensive in the UK due to shipping and import duty charges. The pickguard was from Warmouth but I bought the body unfinished from a UK specialist.

Warmoth ain't cheap in the US either.
I have one on order because I want to build out a thinline Strat, but honestly, after the body, custom paint, and the neck/hardware/pickups, I might end up with as much into it as an Eric Johnson thinline, and will absolutely have more into it than a US standard.

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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:56 am
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CB91710 wrote:
John Sims wrote:
Warmoth product are quite expensive in the UK due to shipping and import duty charges. The pickguard was from Warmouth but I bought the body unfinished from a UK specialist.

Warmoth ain't cheap in the US either.
I have one on order because I want to build out a thinline Strat, but honestly, after the body, custom paint, and the neck/hardware/pickups, I might end up with as much into it as an Eric Johnson thinline, and will absolutely have more into it than a US standard.


Building isn't cheap ...or at least a quality build isn't.

Fish Face, as above, stands me around £600 and that doesn't include the PUPS as I had them in stock. I'm not 100% sold on the neck so am considering another £200+ for a MIM 50's neck. For £800 I could have bought a new MiM Classic 50's.

On the other hand it wouldn't be totally unique, have a single piece Swamp Ash body, nitro finish, real Klusons, gold hardwear and CS PUPs. And a Classic 50's MiM would just be a guitar where as I love Fish Face even though I'm not 100% with the neck.

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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 5:24 am
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John Sims wrote:
Building isn't cheap ...or at least a quality build isn't.

Fish Face, as above, stands me around £600 and that doesn't include the PUPS as I had them in stock. I'm not 100% sold on the neck so am considering another £200+ for a MIM 50's neck. For £800 I could have bought a new MiM Classic 50's.

On the other hand it wouldn't be totally unique, have a single piece Swamp Ash body, nitro finish, real Klusons, gold hardwear and CS PUPs. And a Classic 50's MiM would just be a guitar where as I love Fish Face even though I'm not 100% with the neck.

Bingo. The thing with Warmoth is the cost of the body is only the beginning. Only some standard features are included, and finishes get expensive quickly.
But even at that, I think my Thinline Strat body unfinished, but drilled for AmStd bridge, including the bridge, was just over $400 USD.

I have the MiM Classic 50s Lacquer neck on my new Tele build and it is a nice neck.

Image

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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:03 pm
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After extensive research (to the best of my abilities) and all the GREAT help I got here, I am coming up with the same conclusions. 'IF' I do this I wont be very far off from buying a reasonably priced used Tele. I looked at Warmoth and the body I want with no hardware is essentially $500. If I buy a loaded body on eBay (if I were to use eBay) in the finish I want is going to cost probably $600-$800 then to top it off I've never done this before and I'm not 100% sure of the MIM strat neck I have.

I asked Frank why we even have this damn neck and he said that he and his friend in high school disassembled the strat because they were going to have the body refinished with a "Bad $@!" paint job. It never happened and the body is gone, his friend 'lost' it. Then he told me that the Tele he had when he went to live in Seattle at 18YO was a Foto Flame Tele and he sold it to afford to come back home to AZ but I guess he loved that thing.

So here is what I plan on doing. I'm going to buy him either a used Foto Flame or American Telecaster. Then Ill patiently wait for a loaded Strat body to fall to my feet, buy that, put the neck on it, somehow get it autographed by Peter Townshend (that should be a project in itself) and put up on the wall in my office.

Good plan?

Thanks for your help everyone, you folks are very generous with your time and knowledge.
Thank you all very much


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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 12:28 pm
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Finding a Foto Flame might be a challenge - they were built in the nineties, not in large amounts, and they're not on the second hand market too often.

But those were made in Japan, so that opens new possibilities.
- If your offspring loved a Foto Flame MIJ Tele, and
- otherwise he was going to paint the Strat "Bad $@!", and
- if that (as usual) translates to black, here's one option (and the cherry on top, it's probably cheaper than a used Foto Flame):
https://shop.fender.com/en-US/electric- ... 00306.html


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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:40 pm
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Oh yes, that’s a great solution. Thank you.


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Post subject: Re: I need help buying a loaded body for a neck I have
Posted: Fri Apr 26, 2019 11:08 am
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jmattis wrote:


Damn! That is a sexy bit of kit. And I don't normally like painted headstocks.

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